Tranexamic Acid: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Tranexamic Acid is an antifibrinolytic agent sold in the U.S. under 2 brand and generic names, for subarachnoid hemorrhage and inherited blood coagulation disorders. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Antifibrinolytic Agent
- Treats (across its forms)
- Subarachnoid Hemorrhage and Inherited Blood Coagulation Disorders
- Available as
- Injectable · Solution · Tablet
- Sold as
- 2 products — Tranexamic Acid and Cyklokapron
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
- What the pharmacy pays
- about $0.36 per ml — not your price
How tranexamic acid is dosed
From the FDA label for Tranexamic Acid (application ANDA203256). Other tranexamic acid products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
1,300 mg three times a day (3,900 mg/day) for a maximum of 5 days during monthly menstruation ( 2.1 ) • Renal impairment : Lower dosage is needed (for a maximum of 5 days during menstruation) if serum creatinine concentration (Cr) is higher than 1.4 mg/dL ( 2.2 ) o Cr above 1.4 mg/dL and ≤ 2.8 mg/dL: 1,300 mg two times a day (2,600 mg/day) o Cr above 2.8 mg/dL and ≤ 5.7 mg/dL: 1,300 mg once a day (1,300 mg/day) o Cr above 5.7 mg/dL: 650 mg once a day (650 mg/day) 2.1 Recommended Testing Prior to Tranexamic Acid Tablets Administration Prior to prescribing tranexamic acid tablets, exclude endometrial pathology that can be associated with heavy menstrual bleeding. 2.2 Recommended Dosage The recommended dosage of tranexamic acid tablets for patients with normal renal function is 1300 mg orally three times daily (3900 mg/day) for a maximum of 5 days during monthly menstruation. Tranexamic acid tablets may be administered with or without food. Swallow tablets whole; do not chew or break apart. 2.3 Dosage Recommendations in Patients with Renal Impairment The recommended dosage (for a maximum of 5 days during monthly menstruation) in patients with renal impairment with serum creatinine concentration higher than 1.4 mg/dL is described in Table 1. Table 1. Recommended Dosage of Tranexamic Acid Tablets in Patients with Renal Impairment Serum Creatinine (mg/dL) Recommended Dosage (maximum…
Tranexamic Acid side effects
Most common adverse reactions in clinical trials (≥ 5%, and more frequent in tranexamic acid-treated subjects compared to placebo-treated subjects) are headache, sinus and nasal symptoms, back pain, abdominal pain, musculoskeletal pain, joint pain, muscle cramps, migraine, anemia and fatigue. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. at 1-855-204-1431 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Trial Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to the rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical practice. Adverse Reactions in Short-term Studies The safety of tranexamic acid in the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding in females of reproductive potential was studied in two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies [see Clinical Studies ( 14 )] . • Study 1 compared the effects of two doses of tranexamic acid tablets (1950 mg and 3900 mg per day for up to 5 days during each menstrual period) versus placebo over a 3-cycle treatment duration. A total of 304 women were randomized to this study, with 115 receiving at least one dose of 3900 mg/day of tranexamic acid tablets. • Study 2 compared the effects of tranexamic acid tablets (3900…
Who shouldn’t take tranexamic acid
Concomitant use of combined hormonal contraceptives ( 4.1 ) • Active thromboembolic disease or a history or intrinsic risk of thrombosis or thromboembolism, including retinal vein or artery occlusion ( 4.1 ) • Hypersensitivity to tranexamic acid ( 4.2 ) 4.1 Thromboembolic Risk Tranexamic acid tablets are contraindicated in females of reproductive potential who are [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )]: • Using combined hormonal contraception • Known to have any of the following conditions: o Active thromboembolic disease (e.g., deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or cerebral thrombosis) o A history of thrombosis or thromboembolism, including retinal vein or artery occlusion o An intrinsic risk of thrombosis or thromboembolism (e.g., thrombogenic valvular disease, thrombogenic cardiac rhythm disease, or hypercoagulopathy) 4.2 Hypersensitivity to Tranexamic Acid Tranexamic acid tablets are contraindicated in females with reproductive potential with known hypersensitivity to tranexamic acid [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 ) and Adverse Reactions ( 6.1 )].
Tranexamic Acid drug interactions
No drug-drug interaction studies were conducted with tranexamic acid tablets. Concomitant therapy with tissue plasminogen activators may decrease the efficacy of both tranexamic acid and tissue plasminogen activators. ( 7.2 ) 7.1 Combined Hormonal Contraceptives Because tranexamic acid is antifibrinolytic, concomitant use of combined hormonal contraception and tranexamic acid may increase the thrombotic risk associated with combined hormonal contraceptives. For this reason, concomitant use of tranexamic acid tablets with combined hormonal contraceptives is contraindicated [see Contraindications ( 4 ) and Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )]. 7.2 Tissue Plasminogen Activators Concomitant therapy with tissue plasminogen activators may decrease the efficacy of both tranexamic acid and tissue plasminogen activators. Discontinue tranexamic acid tablets if a patient requires tissue plasminogen activators. 7.3 Factor IX Complex Concentrates or Anti-Inhibitor Coagulant Concentrates Tranexamic acid tablets are not recommended in patients taking either Factor IX complex concentrates or anti-inhibitor coagulant concentrates because the risk of thrombosis may be increased [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )]. 7.4 All-Trans Retinoic Acid (Oral Tretinoin) Tranexamic acid tablets are not recommended in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia taking all-trans retinoic acid for remission induction because of possible exacerbation of the procoagulant effect of all-trans retinoic acid [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )].
Every tranexamic acid product we track (2)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70/100 | Prescription | Injectable | Generic | $0 | View → | |
| 2 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Injectable | Generic | $0 | View → |
What tranexamic acid pills look like
Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.
| Imprint | Strength | Colour | Shape | Maker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WPI;3720 | 650 mg | white | oval | — |
Can you crush or split tranexamic acid?
At least one tranexamic acidproduct is labelled to be swallowed whole — crushing an extended-release tablet releases the whole day’s dose at once. Which applies depends on the form you were given.
What each tranexamic acid label says about crushing, splitting and chewingHow long tranexamic acid keeps
No tranexamic acid label we read sets a separate limit for after opening, but they do specify how it must be stored — and the stability behind any date assumes those conditions.
Does tranexamic acid expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsTranexamic Acid and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for tranexamic acid: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadAmounts of tranexamic acid in breastmilk appear to be low. Recent expert opinion considers that breastfeeding should be permitted in infants whose mothers require treatment with tranexamic acid. Tranexamic acid is used for hereditary angioedema in low-income countries where first-line treatments are not available, but should not be used if C1-INH is available.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised June 15, 2026. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about tranexamic acid
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 8,847 reports naming tranexamic acid, and the FDA flagged 93% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- pyrexia364 reports
- nausea329 reports
- hypotension322 reports
- diarrhoea318 reports
- vomiting298 reports
- haemorrhage297 reports
- dyspnoea284 reports
- pneumonia273 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean tranexamic acid caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved August 26, 2026.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is tranexamic acid?
Tranexamic Acid is an antifibrinolytic agent used to treat Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, Inherited Blood Coagulation Disorders.
What kind of drug is tranexamic acid?
The FDA classifies tranexamic acid as an antifibrinolytic agent. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take tranexamic acid with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run tranexamic acid against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is tranexamic acid sold under?
We track 2 tranexamic acid-containing products in the U.S.: Tranexamic Acid and Cyklokapron. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does tranexamic acid come in?
Across the brands we track, tranexamic acid is currently marketed as injectable, solution and tablet, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic tranexamic acid?
Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic tranexamic acid product alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Tranexamic Acid: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/tranexamic-acid
- MLA
- “Tranexamic Acid: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/tranexamic-acid.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for tranexamic acid on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.